Sleepless
by Cordis-Mensis
Summary: Lincoln has a sleeping problem. Olivia doesn't sleep much anyway, so they opt for a late night hang out at his place  she brings the food . Fluff piece. LincolnxOlivia in our  blue!  universe because I think they have potential. Please review!


a/n: I just caught up with Fringe and have completely fallen in love with Lincoln's character from this side. (I think it's the hipster glasses). While I totally ship Peter/Olivia that's in Peter's rightful timeline. In the current timeline I love the Lincoln/Olivia dynamic.

I'm tired of writing angst so here's a happy little fluff piece where nothing significant happens. It started out as something entirely different and kind of took of in its own direction. I find it hard to write fluff because it seems so out of character. Anyway, I tried my best to keep them in character as possible. Lastly, It takes place "over here."

Enough of that...here it is! **Please review! **

Sleepless

The knock on the door came around 2:30 a.m. Yes, he had invited her over (she had insisted), but that didn't mean she was guaranteed to show up. He half expected her to stand him up (again). They had been hanging out outside of work. A cup of coffee here, a drink there, a couple of lunches and a several dinners. They always hung out at her place. It was cozy, but this time, she had insisted on seeing his place.

She had said once that he wasn't her type, but she was beginning to think that maybe she had him figured out all wrong. She checked her hair one more time in her phone and took a deep breath before knocking.

The knock came exactly at 2:31 and he was at the door to answer it at exactly 2:32 a.m. She smiled at him shyly when he opened the door slowly and carefully. "Hey." He said, almost whispering.

"Hi. Did I wake you?" He laughed; a mixture of a chuckle and a snort at shook his head 'no.'

"I can understand why you asked though, I look terribly well rested, don't I?"

"Terribly." He smiled at her, thankful that she hadn't pointed out the bags under his eyes that seemingly disappeared momentarily when he smiled. She laughed quietly and put her index fingers on her own cheeks.

"Dimples. I know." He turned his face away from her.

"Aww. Don't hide." She teased.

"I'm not. You're embarrassing me."

"It's just us!"

"For the record, my mom said they would get me far in life." Her smile widened and her laugh got louder, more confident. He realized that they were still standing in the doorway.

"You going to invite me in?"

"No." He opened the door wide and welcomed her in.

At 2:34 a.m. they were standing in the living room of his small apartment.

"Nice place."

"You mean, small place."

"I meant what I said."

"Well then, thank you. It's very nice to finally meet a woman who appreciates my interior design capabilities."

"You have a lot of women over?" She nudged him in the side. He flinched. "Did that hurt?" She suppressed back a laugh.

"No. I just wasn't expecting it. Can I have a do-over?"

"Not until you answer my question."

"What question?"

"The question about the women, Lincoln."

"Ohhh. Just a few. And by a few I mean a couple hundred. Daily." This time she couldn't hold back her laughter.

At 2:43 a.m. Olivia had plopped down onto Lincoln's couch and was looking through his movies. Lincoln had gone to heat up the cold pad-thai.

"What do you have here that's not sci-fi?" She called out to him.

"Nothing."

"Seriously."

"I'll see if I can whip up some magic, but what's wrong with Space Odyssey and Blade Runner?"

"Nothing. Our jobs are too much like a sci-fi movie for me to want to watch one when I get home."

"So you came over here to insult my taste in movies?"

"No."

At 2:47 a.m. the microwave beeps.

"Well. We'll have this discussion after I go get the pad-thai." He turned on his heel to go.

"Where are you going, Dave?" She asked in a robotic voice. He stopped and turned to her.

"No way. You know HAL?" She laughs. "Don't laugh! That shit is real."

"I really think I'm entitled to answer to that question, Dave." He retreated backwards. She dropped the act when she saw how genuinely scared he looked. "Technology with emotional intelligence?"

"It's real." She beamed at him.

"Watch out for that microwave."

"Don't say that." He shook his head.

"Scared?"

"A little bit."

"Should I come get the pad-thai with you?" He smiled sheepishly at her. She silently got up and joined him to venture to the kitchen.

At 2:52 a.m. Olivia was standing in his kitchen taking the food out of the microwave while Lincoln stood a safe distance behind her.

They ate in a comfortable silence.

At 3:07 a.m. Olivia had found the beer stash and opened one for herself and the other for her partner.

"You think Peter will get home?" He asked her.

"I like to think so."

"Imagine that. Becoming a stranger to everyone in your life."

"Can't imagine."

"It's terrible. I hope he finds his way back to his timeline. Back home, that is."

"Back to his Walter and his Olivia."

"His Olivia."

"I hope he finds his way back home." He repeated, averting his gaze.

"Me too."

At 3:13 a.m. they end their conversation about Peter.

At 3:18 a.m. they're back on the couch browsing through movies again.

"Don't you have like a normal movie?"

"I didn't peg you for the chick-flick type." This time he nudged her. She nudged back.

"I never said chick-flick."

"I have Netflix. What would you like to watch, Agent Dunham?"

"I don't know."

"You can't 'not know' and then reject every idea I come up with."

"Watch me."

"Do you, or do you not have a movie in mind?"

"I might." He's glaring at her playfully, but his playful glare quickly dissolves into a smile.

"Care to share?" She turns away from him. "Ooh, it's something embarrassing." She almost giggles. Almost. "Is it...a steamy foreign romance film?" He wiggles his eyebrows and she doubles over in laughter.

"No."

"Is it...at least a romance?"

"Nope. Sorry partner. I know that's what you were hoping for."

"Is it...foreign?"

"Nope."

"I can't keep guessing all night. You have to tell me what it is."

"No."

"Stubborn." She grinned. "Then I'm gonna pick the first movie I see."

"Fine."

"Fine."

At 3:32 a.m. they landed on the Proposal.

"I'm not watching that." Olivia crinkled her nose.

"For God's sake woman!"

"I think you purposely landed on it."

"Purposely? With my eyes closed? Yes. Purposely."

"I'm not watching it." She repeated sternly.

"Why? You're more...a Ryan Gosling girl than Reynolds?" She knit her brows in confusion.

"Who?"

"Nevermind." Olivia stuck her tongue out at him. "You're such a child." He accused and kicked her lightly from his end of the couch.

At 3:36 a.m. Lincoln found a way to get Olivia to submit.

He reached across the couch and grabbed her gently and began to tickle her. At first, she didn't respond, but a few seconds later, she lost control and burst into laughter. She struggled to breathe as she writhed in his arms which were the only things keeping her from falling off the couch.

"You win!" She said and between laughs and gasps of air she surrenders. He released her. She catches herself from falling off the couch, but he catches her too and he gets a face full of her soft blonde hair.

"Well, then tell me what it is!" He repositions himself, ready to attack her again if she fails to name the movie title.

"It's..."

"You can do it Liv, I believe in you." She smiles a little, he's taken to calling her that.

"National Treasure." She whispers.

"National Treasure. You're serious."

"Shut up." He can't help but to laugh as he browses through the movies finding the one he's looking for. "It's a guilty pleasure." She punches him lightly. He laughs harder.

At 4:00 a.m. they're situated on opposite ends of the couch watching Nicolas Cage plot to steal the Declaration of Independence.

"This whole movie as a load of bullshit." She shushes him, throwing a cushion at his head. "For a woman who appreciates my interior decorating, she doesn't seem to respect it very much."

At 4:34 a.m. Lincoln gets up to make popcorn.

At 4:37 a.m. he returns to find that she has stolen his spot on the couch.

"Move, please." She doesn't budge. "Move."

"Make me."

"You can't have any popcorn until you move." Her reflexes are too quick and she snatches the whole bag out of his hands. She's smiling; he can tell. "I'll just stand then." He crosses his arms. She moves her legs and he sits down.

At 5:05 a.m. after they've settled their little seating arrangement dispute, he gets up to close the blinds because she's complaining about the sunlight and the glare on the screen.

At 5:07 a.m. Olivia has moved completely onto his side of the couch.

At 5:10 a.m. Lincoln timidly brushes a hair out of her face.

At 5:11 a.m. she's rested her head on his chest and his arm has found its way around her small waist.

"They expect us to believe this?" Lincoln huffed. She squeezed his hand to calm him down.

"It's a movie."

"Still."

"It's called willing suspense of disbelief. Try it." He rolls his eyes and pulls her closer to him. She doesn't protest.

At 5:30 a.m. Nick Cage and his team have found the treasure, but Lincoln and Olivia had stopped watching the movie.

Lincoln happened to be looking down just as Olivia turned to face him, probably getting ready to make a witty remark, but she was stopped. She was halted by _a moment_. She was capitalized by the electricity flowing between them as she looked up to his green-blue eyes staring down at hers.

At 5:31 a.m. Lincoln and Olivia shared _a moment. _

Her gaze softened when her eyes met his and there were, surprisingly, no words. No awkward stammering to resolve the situation. They let the moment happen. They let it guide them in whatever direction it pleased to.

She had looked so vulnerable incased in his strong arms. He could tell, in that moment, that beyond that tough and fearless exterior, she was scared.

He wanted to take away all the uncertainty. But all those sleepless nights, what could he say? He was just as scared as she was. He did the only thing he knew how to do. He leaned down, brushing away the stubborn strand of stray blonde hair and she tilted her chin up slightly.

At 5:33 a.m. Lincoln leaned down and captured Olivia's lips with his own. At first, it was timid and soft. He kissed her lower lip and waited only a fraction of second for her to return the kiss. That she did.

At 5:33 a.m. and 33 seconds he kissed her again, or rather she kissed him. She covered his mouth with her own, softly tugging on his upper lip. She pulled away and for a moment put her finger to her own lips to feel the tingling sensation from the kiss and his stubble.

He leaned in for another kiss and she happily obliged. His tongue lightly traced her lips and parted them just ever so slightly – shyly. He could feel the blonde agent smile as she deepened the kiss. Pulling him into her just a little bit more.

She could feel him smiling as she parted her lips for a second time. She reached her free hand up to cup his stubble covered cheek and put her thumb on his growing dimples.

He pulled away momentarily and looked at her very seriously, "they're there to stay." He said referring to his dimples. She giggled – a real giggle.

She paused in silence and grabbed both his cheeks. Lincoln leaned into her touch. "I like them." He laughed this time beckoning her for another kiss. He leaned in and captured her lips again.

At 5:43 a.m. Olivia had fallen asleep. Her head on Lincoln's chest, rising and falling with his each breath. He admired his view of her beautiful features. He had never seen the woman look so serene before.

At 6:00 a.m. Lincoln laid his head down on the end of the couch and closed his eyes. He was still sleepless, but if it meant never waking up from this, waking up to her, then he thought he might just be able to get used to never sleeping again.


End file.
